Sat November 2, 2013

Fresh Air Weekend: Chris Hadfield, Brandy Clark, Kennedy Conspiracies

Canadian astronaut Chris Hadfield has spent a total of six months in space. In his new book, he writes that getting to space took only "8 minutes and 42 seconds. Give or take a few thousand days of training."

NASACourtesy of Little, Brown and Company

Fresh Air Weekend highlights some of the best interviews and reviews from past weeks, and new program elements specially paced for weekends. Our weekend show emphasizes interviews with writers, filmmakers, actors, and musicians, and often includes excerpts from live in-studio concerts. This week:

Astronaut Chris Hadfield Brings Lessons From Space Down To Earth: The former International Space Station commander achieved Internet stardom with his in-space rendition of David Bowie's "Space Oddity." After three missions and a total of six months in space he shares what he's learned in a new book, An Astronaut's Guide to Life on Earth.

Brandy Clark Tells The 'Stories' That Are Tough To Hear: Ken Tucker calls the country singer-songwriter's new 12 Stories a "modestly amazing album." Every song is striking, textured and finely detailed.

Botched Investigation Fuels Kennedy Conspiracy Theories: It's been 50 years since President John F. Kennedy was assassinated, and polls show that a majority of Americans still believe Kennedy was the victim of a conspiracy, not a lone assassin. Philip Shenon, author of A Cruel and ShockingAct, explores what keeps these conspiracy theories alive.